Former Missions

Cassini VIMS

The VIMS instrument on the Cassini spacecraft has several unique capabilities. It is able to identify the chemical composition of a surface, atmosphere, or Saturn’s rings by measuring the visible and infrared energy.

Dawn

Dawn is a Discovery class mission that will improve our understanding of our asteroid belt by mapping the two largest residents, Vesta and Ceres. Dawn finished its survey of asteroid Vesta and is currently on an extended mission studying dwarf planet Ceres using its three instruments.

GRAIL

The Gravity Recovery And Interior Laboratory (GRAIL) will unlock the mysteries of the Moon. By mapping the lunar gravitational field globally —not just on the nearside —to unprecedented accuracy and resolution, GRAIL will, in essence, peer deep inside the Moon to reveal its internal structure and thermal history.